Protea curvata N.E.Br.

Small, erect tree to 8 m, with slender branches and a sparse crown; trunk clearly differentiated, 100-300 mm in diam. at base; bark black, reticulately fissured. Stems erect, sparsely branched, very brittle; flowering stems glabrous, 5-10 mm in diameter, covered with prominent leaf scars; leaves clustered on current year's growth. Leaves narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, subfalcate to falcate, no-200 mm long, 8-16 mm wide, very narrowly attenuated in petiolar region; apex obtuse to rounded; glabrous, coriaceous, lightly glaucous. Inflorescence 50-70 mm in diameter, globose, terminal, but overtopped by axillary shoots; floral parts prominently everted, projecting 30-40 mm beyond bracts; inflorescence remaining open after flowering until the fruits are shed; distinctly stipitate, stipe 10-20 mm long covered with small, adpressed partly sericeous scales. Receptacle broadly conic, 10-20 mm high, 15-20 mm in diam. Involucral bracts 4-5 seriate; inner series very loosely arranged, ovate-oblong, 20-30 mm long, 8-16 mm wide, apices rounded to subacute, glabrous but sericeous proximally deep red/black in colour; outer series ovate, 7-15 mm long, 10-15 mm wide, glabrous for the greater part but densely sericeous proximally. Perianth straight, 50-60 mm long, uniformly tomentose on outer and inner surfaces but glabrous proximally in tube region; tube 15 mm long, 8 mm wide, prominently dilated, outer surface bearing several distinct angular ridges; claws slender, passing imperceptibly into the limbs, limbs straight linear, 20 mm long, apices acute. Anthers 4, linear, 15 mm long. Style pink, glabrous, tapering terminally, 60-65 mm long. Pollen presenter filiform 15 mm long, slightly geniculate at junction with style. Ovary obconic 5 mm long, covered with straight, pale tawny trichomes. Hypogynous scales broadly ovate, 2 mm long. Flowering takes place in winter, principally in June and July but odd flower-heads may continue to open as late as October.